Stories, Tales, Lies & Exaggerations

**Cue Carmina Burana's O Fortuna**
Here is the video for Silverchair's "Straight Lines", the first cut out of "Young Modern". UUUuuUU!! UuuuUUuu!
Not that it matters, but check out Johns and Gillies sporting matching mustaches.


For a second in that video, he lets loose the dancer in him, reminding of the same that entertained you on the magnificent Live from Faraway Stables.

Yes, the expected top-notch sound, the expected chemistry, a nice little piano and nice chord changes but what I love the most about this song, is that it proves that Silverchair's/Dissociatives' best asset is Johns' voice. I consider his voice one of the best I have ever heard. It takes you high up and in the same second way down without breaking, it can vibrate 'filled' as do sounds of many voices together (like calling up an army to gather up at his throat), and it can vibrate to the thinnest thread of voice possible audible to our listening range. It sounds amazing full of rage, sounds amazing doing lovey-dovey lyrics. It transmits so well the feeling of the song whether its promoting melancholy or excitement; it matches with elaborated symphonic arrangements, and also serves pure hard rock. In one word, versatile. (sorry for all the colors, that's just me celebrating Diorama's cover)

The art direction for this all-the-way australian video reminded me of Chuck Anderson's work for Lupe Fiasco's "Food & Liquor".


In account of his personal life, he is better known for being married to fellow aussi Natalie Imbruglia and for being so depressed (suicidal) at a time that the trauma led him to an eating disorder: anorexia (he confessed everything in that infamous Rolling Stones interview) BUT the most notable mark of his personal life is his reactive arthritis condition. "The arthritis just went from bad to worse and went through all the bones in my body, through my spine, up into my neck," he said. "I just couldn't move... I couldn't have a shower because it felt like I was cracking my spine."(June '04, The Age). That is as ugly as it gets for a person that relies on his hand movements for a living. A long time passed with him thinking that he may not be able to play guitar again, err.....or walk. Here is the live 'comeback' performance, back in 2002 at the ARIA awards (Australia's Grammys equivalent)(+Paul Mac on the keys). They changed "The Greatest View" guitar line so his hands wouldn't lock up/hurt.



One last thing: here's their 2006 performance at the ARIA awards, covering Midnight Oil. This "I don't want to be the one" cover is to be included in the "Straight Lines" single, along with "All Across The World" and "Sleep All Day". (Dang, I hope you realize it's been like 4 years since the last single release).
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That's it for now! Thanks for reading! I'll try to post the video with Daniel doing a guitar solo with his tongue later. And here, enjoy the lyrics:

Breathing from a hole in my lung
I had no one
But faces in front of me
Racing through the void in my head
To find traces of a good luck academy
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh

Sparks ignite I’m training for thought
About no one
And nothing in particular
Watched the sick and suckered and drove
Resent nothing
There’s good will inside of me
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh

Wake me up low with a fever
Walking in a straight line
Set me on fire in the evening
Everything will be fine
Waking up strong in the morning
Walking in a straight line
Lately I’m a desperate believer
But walking in a straight line

Something I will never forget
I felt desperate
It stuck to the narrow way
Invisible to everyone else
I'm a sex change
And a damsel with no heroin
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh

I don't need no time to say
There's no changing yesterday
If you keep talking and I keep walking in straight lines

Labels: Ben Gillies, Chris Joannou, Daniel Johns, Music, Silverchair, Straight Lines